RAWALPINDI: A delegation from the Asian Infrastructure Development Bank of China on Monday visited the garrison city for a briefing on the Ring Road Project from the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA).

The delegation visited the site of the proposed project, from Channi Sher Alam to Phalian – near the new Islamabad airport.

Their report will be compiled by May 25, after meeting with senior officials from the Punjab finance department.

At the commissioner’s office, RDA officials briefed the delegation on the salient features of the Ring Road Project in the presence of Divisional Commissioner Chaudhry Nadeem Aslam.

The delegation was briefed by RDA Chief Engineer Ather Hussain Bukhari.

The bank has asked the provincial government to acquire land, after which the government will conduct a survey of the area for future cooperation between the Punjab government and the bank for a loan for the project.

A senior district administration official told Dawn the delegation was briefed on the starting and ending points of the ring road, and links to the new airport.

The delegation also checked maps and Nespak’s initial project layout.

The bank will inform the provincial government about the loan and other terms and conditions after compiling its report by May 25, he said.

He said the government had wanted to construct the road on a build, operate and transfer basis but lacked sufficient funding.

It then decided to contact the bank for a loan so the main road could be constructed by the government itself.

The Punjab government allocated Rs4 billion for land acquisition and made some changes so the minimum funding could be acquired as a loan from the bank. The loan will be returned from toll tax after the project is completed.

As per the initial survey, 11,000 kanals will be acquired for the construction of the road. The road will be 48.5 kilometres long, starting from Channi Sher Alam and ending at Phalian, near the Islamabad-Lahore Motorway.

The government had earlier planned to acquire an 800ft road including right of way, but decided to reduce the size to 300ft, the official said.

There will not be a greenbelt along the road, but the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) will use the right of way as a greenbelt if needed, he added.

He said work on land acquisition would begin after the new fiscal budget begins. He said political changes in the province would not affect the project because it would be added to the annual development programme, and such projects will not be halted.

Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2018